The Honorary Awards Ceremony of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts 2024 was held On December 5 to confer Honorary Awards on ten outstanding individuals today in recognition of their significant achievements and contributions to the performing arts, the cultural industry, and the development of the HKAPA. The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Charles Yang Chuen-liang, BBS JP. Professor Hao Rong, President of the Central Academy of Drama (CAD), was conferred the honorary fellowship for his extensive reputation and outstanding achievements in drama education, as well as his long-standing contributions to deepening cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Hong Kong and the mainland.
Professor Gillian Choa, Director of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, delivered a speech on behalf of HKAPA. In Prof. Hao's Citation, Acting Dean of the School of Drama, Mr. WONG Tony, praised him as a renowned figure in drama education, respected not only in China but also across Asia. “Professor Hao and the Academy go back a long way. He has taught at the School of Drama, and attended the Cross-Strait and Hong Kong and Macau Art Forum as a speaker hosted by the Academy. As President of the Asia Theatre Education Centre, he appointed faculty from the HKAPA as the centre's director and members. He also invited students and teachers of the Academy to take part in the Asian Theatre Schools Festival, where they performed, hosted workshops, and adjudicated contests.” As the Secretary-General of the World Theatre Education Alliance (WTEA) and the Director-General of Asia Theatre Education Centre (ATEC), Professor Hao has long been dedicated to supporting the development of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has worked to promote Chinese traditional culture and has actively fostered educational cooperation and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland, and the two institutions. In recognition of his numerous honours and outstanding contributions, Professor Hao was conferred the life-long title of Honorary Fellowship.
Group Photo
On the morning of December 5, Professor Hao met with Professor Gillian Choa to discuss and reaffirm the importance of their long-standing friendly cooperation. Both sides expressed that, as the most representative art institutions in mainland China and Hong Kong, they bear the important responsibility of strengthening East-West cultural exchanges and revitalizing Chinese traditional culture. Looking to the future, they pledged to continue their collaborative efforts in teaching, creation, and research, contributing to the global dissemination and prosperous development of Chinese culture.
The friendly exchange between the two institutions began in the 1990s. In 2005, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts became one of the founding members of ATEC, establishing a solid cooperative framework. Faculty and students from both institutions regularly exchange visits and hold academic lectures. Furthermore, the HKAPA’s students of Drama have been invited to present their stage productions at drama festivals at the CAD several times. These positive exchanges have provided rich cultural nourishment for young students engaged in drama arts creation, playing a vital role in deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two institutions, and fostering a model of inter-institutional collaboration.
Stage Still of 'The Wild Party of Yu Xuanji' by HKAPA
Stage Still of 'Antigone on the Beach' by HKAPA
Prof. Choa's Workshop at the CAD
In the 2008-2009 academic year, Professor Hao, then a faculty member of the CAD’s Department of Acting, spent six months teaching Acting at the HKAPA. During his stay, he directed the students in the production of the play ‘Marriage’ and conducted professional evaluations for the acting program. The production received unanimous praise, and the friendship between the two institutions was deepened.
In 2023, Professor Hao Rong, as a special researcher for the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, visited Hong Kong to participate in the "14th Cross-Strait and Hong Kong-Macau Arts Forum" co-organized by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where he gave a speech. That same year, the CAD faculty participated in the Mainland Higher Education Expo 2024/25 held in Hong Kong. Professor Hao was invited by the organizers to give a special lecture to Hong Kong students and their families, introducing the evolution of the discipline of art, the status quo of the Central Academy of Drama, and the future path of the arts field.
The Cast and Crew of 'Marriage'
Prof. Hao's Speech Displayed at the Expo
The conferring of Honorary Fellowship displays not only the recognition of Prof. Hao’ personal achievements by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, but also symbolizes the deep and longstanding cooperation between the two institutions. It is a microcosm of the thriving educational exchanges and cooperation between Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Looking ahead, both institutions will continue to build on this rich tradition of collaboration, exploring new channels for partnership, and working together to strengthen cultural and artistic exchanges between the mainland and the rest of the world. This will help lay a solid foundation for the promotion of Chinese traditional culture and the exchange and mutual learning between civilizations.
